Support Driving Jersey: American Dream

Driving Jersey is a video series born on the web and now shown on television that documents the American Dream through the lives of New Jersey residents with interesting things to say, stories to tell, experiences to impart, and wisdom to pass on.

What it doesn't do right now, unfortunately, is pay the bills.

Videographer Steve Rogers, one half of the team behind Driving Jersey, has spent the past few years on the road filming the Garden State and its inhabitants. His work on Driving Jersey earned him an Emmy nomination last year — the only independent among a group of content producers bankrolled by major television studios — as well as a spot for the program on NJTV — the successor to now-defunct NJN.

What he wants, he said, is to improve the show. What that takes is some funding.

Enter the .

Driving Jersey was invited to debut two episodes of its show at the Basie's Carlton Lounge Thursday during a fundraiser for the public television show. One follows the Cinnamon Snail, an organic, vegan, and fair-trade food truck owned and operated by Red Bank's Adam Sobel.

The other, filmed over eight weeks and edited over untold more, examines Rockit, a music school created by Middletown's Bruce Gallipani that calls the Count Basie home.

"People see the work we do and then they see the equipment we use to do it. Usually they're surprised that we can do so much with so little," he said. "It would make every part of the production process better if we had a faster computer, a better camera, a tripod what wasn't duct taped together."

Rogers, who produced numerous videos for Patch in 2011, several of them , said that while the series has garnered plenty of positive attention, more lucrative television deals for this or other projects have yet to materialize.

They've gotten close several times, he said, but the "times are hard" refrain always seems to come up when it comes to getting serious about a deal.

In the meantime, Basie CEO Numa Saisselin said what about holding a fundraiser at the theater?

"He basically said let's figure out a night to show some of your work and we'll have a fundraising event," Rogers said of his conversation with Saisselin. "I think a lot of it has to do with me being a local guy working independently. Working as a journalist, working for Patch, I tried to shine a light on the Basie. They're very good at recognizing people who do good things to represent the community and the theater."

The event is being held in the Carlton Lounge Thursday at 7 p.m. Suggested donation is $25, though Rogers are welcome to give what they can afford, whether that means less or, perhaps more welcome, more.

Check out Driving Jersey by clicking here. Or see Steve's various contributions to Patch by clicking the links here or to the right.